5 THINGS I LEARNED BEING MUSLIM IN MALAYSIA & INDONESIA

1. CELEBRATING HOLIDAY'S IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES COME PERKS

Growing up as a Muslim in the Middle East and the West I've become accustomed to a few norms.
-You're always the minority. Whether I'm a Muslim in the Arab dominated populations of the Middle East or the non-Muslim world of the West, I've grown up accustomed to being the minority one way or another. However, coming to Malaysia for the first time and finally feeling a part of the majority was a very unique and uplifting experience.

-Most people either don't know why I'm doing certain things, or they perform it differently. To have everyone around me understand the religion, the customs, and behaviors of a Muslim was both shocking and exiting. The city shut down when it was time to pray. There was a mosque on every corner, and even the non-Muslims adhered to the customs out of habit. Even when breaking fast, I always had people offering me things to eat if they saw me empty-handed at the time to break fast.


-The role of women is very different to an outsider. Having just arrived to KL from Qatar the first day of Ramadan I just assumed being a women would be the same. However, as I walked the streets of KL I quickly noticed how I was never stared at. It's just a habit I've grown up with to avert my look when crowds of men walk by. However, the freedom to look where I pleased and feel safe where ever I traveled was such a refreshing feeling. I also love the sense of community and comradery when I stand side by side with these women. They have a uniform that they wear when they pray. Being asked to put on the traditional garb to join them in prayer was a beautiful visual reminder of the equality that's supposed to exist among Muslims.

2. MALAYSIA IS STRICTER THAN INDONESIA

Islam is both the dominant religion of the majority as well as the government. Everyone in the country not only adheres to the faith, but it's also policed by non-Muslims. For example, since I had been traveling I wasn't obligated to fast on the day I landed. So when I tried to get food during fasting hours I was quickly reprimanded by a non-Muslim restaurant owner. Not realizing what the situation was I continued to eat openly later on in the day with some ice cream. The look of shock on most people's faces when I was walking around quickly brought me up to speed. Whether you're fasting or not DON'T EAT IN PUBLIC IF YOU'RE A MUSLIM!! Apparently out of respect the custom is to eat in private or wait till it's time to break fast. Lesson Learned! I'll have to wait till sunset to eat all my new purchase at the Ramadan Bazaars.

3. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEN & WOMEN ARE MORE OPEN THAN OTHER COUNTRIES

Most Muslim countries aren't big on PDA. Even in my Somali culture it's not generally the norm to be affectionate in public. But in Malaysia everywhere I went you would see couples holding hands, feeding each other, or cuddling on public transportation. To see such tenderness and love in the open was a beautiful sight. This was a practice of the Prophet Muhamed (PBUH) and I'm happy to see it being practiced so openly here. I hope that more Muslims implement this practice in their lives.

4. ISLAM IS VIEWED THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS

Since I've spent most of my life in America it's normally for me to hear about Islam from a security perspective. In Malaysia and Indonesia Islam is a part of everyday life. For example, trade is based off of rules concerning Halal (kosher) standards. Architecture is influenced by the religion. Every building either has a mosque nearby or has a prayer room called a Surau (in Malaysia) or a Musholla (in Indonesia) somewhere in the building. Everyone is either a Muslim or knows a bunch of Muslims so it can't be seen as a national security concern. If anything, Malaysia passes laws to protect the national interest of the Muslims.

5. EVERY RELIGION IS FREE TO PRACTICE OPENLY

Even though these are Muslim majority countries, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam are freely practiced. All the major holidays of each faith are observed by each country, and the citizens are educated about the faith's. It's not uncommon to see a mosque, a temple, and a church all on the same street each competing to be more beautiful than the last. 

South East Asia has been an amazing experience and being here on the two holiest holidays in the Muslim calendar has been an honor. It's amazing to know that Islam isn't always seen as a threat and even though it's temporaty, I'm happy to know that I can live a modern life in major cities, and still hold on to the traditional life of a moderate Muslim.

Fahmiya Ismail
2nd year GGPS